Sunday, August 29, 2010

My first meal at The Dining Room was nothing short of epic and ranks as one of my best meals of all time. With that experience behind me how could I settle for anything less at Chef Voltaggio's finalé.

Amuse - Gougere with Caviar Cream, Tomato Pate de FruitI make it a rule to order gougeres at every opportunity and this may be the single best gougere I've ever tasted. The classic elements are all there but the burst of caviar cream with its luxurious texture and deep brine elevate this from a simple cheese puff to something truly exceptional. The Tomato Pate de Fruit was equally impressive, highlighting the classic herbaciousness of the fruit in a deliciously sweet sugary body.

01: Soft Shell Crab - Scrambled Corn, Old Bay, Vanilla-Crab JusDefinitely one of the stronger soft shell crab preparations, the crab lends itself well to the Old Bay seasoning giving it a flavor and texture reminiscent of an onion ring. Meanwhile, the vanilla and scrambled corn offered a moderating sweetness that countered the salty punch of the crustacean.

02: Octopus - Buttered Popcorn, Piquillo Confetti, CilantroOne of the few courses that remain unchanged from my first visit, the octopus still showed substantial improvement. The buttery flavor of the popcorn was more balanced, letting the piquillo and cilantro play a larger role.

03: Vegetables of the Season - Burrata, Nori Butter, Coffee-Cardamom "Soil"It was interesting to see how this dish changed with the seasons. Visually it was similar to its Winter predecessor but the vegetables seemed lighter this time and the cheese more prominent. The breakfast radishes were a nice addition, crisp and bitter, they went a long way toward countering the heft of the cheese.

04: Japanese Kampachi - Jamon Iberico, Sea Sponge, Grapefruit, Crispy RiceNext up was a fresh Kampachi whose clean flavor lends itself well to the salinity of the Iberico and sea sponge. Despite using full-flavored accompaniments, the dish manages to keep the focus on the fish itself, succeeding were so many other crudo fail.

05: Foie Gras Terrine - Strawberry-Yuzu, Arugula Cake, Minus 8 VinegarJust by looking at the bright red exterior, I could almost feel the sweetness exuding from the cube of strawberry geleé. Beneath the exterior of sweet fruit lies a rich terrine of foie gras. The classic pairing of foie and fruit is complimented by a bittersweet arugula cake and tiny punctuations of astringency from the vinegar spheres.

06: Foie Gras Frito - Black Sesame, Pickled Blueberries, BasilMost of the regular diners in my party tend to lean towards cold preparation of foie gras so it was a bit of a surprise when the entire party aside from myself and one other holdout declared the hot preparation the better of the duo. The warm foie has this viscous unctousness that I found slightly overwhelming and in general I found this course much heavier and ponderous than the cold preparation.

07: Pacific Cod - Asparagus, Bonito, Marcona Almond MilkCod tends to be one of the more strongly flavored fishes and pairing the fish with smoky bonito flakes only heightens the sensation. Some people found the fish too overwhelming but I appreciated the fishy punch contrasted with the nutty sweetness from the almond milk.

08: Halibut Cheeks - Red Curry, Coconut Rice, Baby LeeksTypically the cheek meat is the most tender part of a fish and these halibut cheeks were no exception. Halibut has a more muscular chew and milder flavor when compared to the char and cod. The light flavor of the fish lent itself well to the bright flavor of the red curry, which coupled with the sweetness of the coconut rice made for a classically Thai feel to the dish.

09: Arctic Char - Green Pea Tapioca, Black Olive, Porcini ChicharrónThis was easily one of the strongest preparations of Arctic Char I've ever tasted. The fish itself is seductively supple with an oily mouth feel that borders on gelatinous. As good as the fish is, it is the accompaniments that deserve special notice. The tapioca captures the herbaceous sweetness of fresh peas while the crisp porcini crackers offer a earthy savoriness. The two contrasting flavors manage to play harmoniously together and still elevate the essence of the char.

10: Salt Baked Turbot - A Jus of Itself, Summer Vegetables Roasted in HayChef Voltaggio is rightly known for his use of contemporary techniques but with this course he shows his strength with the classics as well. Texturally the fish lies somewhere between the halibut and cod, but it is the subtle brine of the fish so expertly highlighted by its own jus that

11: Pastrami Pigeon - Swiss Cheese, Sauerkraut, RyeVoltaggio's twist on the classic Reuben was one of the strongest dishes during my previous visit and I am glad to see it hasn't changed. The flavor of the cured squab is remarkably similar to a good pastrami and the modern interpretations of classic Reuben accompaniments convey the flavor and add a complex textural component to the dish. We were also presented with a unique presentation of beef tongue pastrami which was noticeably leaner than the squab.

12: Veal Sweetbreads Tempura - Kale, Buttermilk, Mustard, Potato PureeI think it's safe to say sweetbreads are beyond the ken of your average American diner, but if anyone ever tried to make sweetbread mainstream they should give Chef Voltaggio a call. Previously at Sashi I tried his Sweetbread McNuggets and found them to be incredibly true to the original and this course continues the theme of making sweetbreads more accessible. The crisp golden batter addes a fried sapor that tempers the offaly flavor and slightly viscous texture of the sweetbread.

13: Jameson Farm Lamb - Fresh Chickpeas, Flavors of Hummus, YogurtIf there is one thing I worry about when having lamb it is an overabundance of gaminess, but the more potent flavor actually stood the lamb in good stead with this Mediterranean inspired preparation. The yogurt takes the edge off the most disconcerting elements of the game while the fresh chickpeas and hummus add a rustic heft to the smoky character of the meat.

15: Four Story Hills Farm Suckling Pig - Banana Polenta, Chanterelles, Cipollini, Red OnionIn stark contrast to the previous course, the suckling pig was a dish where the pork stood entirely on its own. While I would have appreciated a crisper skin, it was hard to find fault with this dish: moist, tender, and laden with the rich essence of pork.

16: Waygu Short Rib - Potato Confit, Nantes Carrot, Bone Marrow, Coconut SoubiseOur waiter called this the chef's take on pot roast. The potatoes and carrots did provide a homey feel to anchor the dish though compare this delicately braised Waygu to your typical home cooked variety simply does not do the dish justice.

17: Japanese Kuroge Rib Cap - Fried Béarnaise, Young Turnips, BordelaiseEven though I was painfully full by this point I couldn't pass up more Waygu beef. This barely cooked rib eye cap was tender and unabashedly fatty. Unsurprisingly, I preferred beef on its own, with maybe a bit of the turnips to temper the richness.

18: Beef Cheeks - Porcini Mushroom Cannelé, Garlic FrothAs with the fish, the cheeks are easily the most tender part of the cow and also one of the most flavorful. Given its natural flavor, the cheeks need little more to make them sing. Still, mushrooms and garlic are classic companions to beef and did the cheeks justice.

Intermezzo - "Peach and Yogurt"Like the previous visit we were given a small bowl of "Dippin Dots" to mark the transition from savory to sweet. The burst of sweet fresh peach and tangy yogurt were a welcome break after a long meal.

19: Carrot Cake - Carrot Sorbet, Yuzu Curd, Cream Cheese SnowThis looked very much like the signature dessert at Commis If anything though the flavors here were more well developed. I typically find carrot cake a bit blunt but the potent yuzu curd added a levity lacking in more traditional preparations.

20: Baba Au Rhum - Textures of Coconut and Pineapple, Compressed MangoNext up was a re-imagining of a rum cake, classic fresh fruit and a slight alcoholic burn but with a distinctive mouth feel courtesy of the fruit.

21: Chocolate Caramel Ganache - Chocolate Sorbet, Salty Hazelnut Praline, Cocoa TuilleThe third dessert was a variation on Voltaggio's "Fools Gold," a course that has been on the menu since day one. The dessert is built around the classic pairing of chocolate and hazelnut tinged with a salty sweet caramel.

If a 22-course dinner wasn't enough we actually ended the meal with a bonus course of Waygu pastrami made by none other than Saul Cooperstein. Even though it hurt to breathe at this point, I couldn't resist the deliciously fatty and wonderfully seasoned slices of beef.

After the meal we spent some time with the restaurant staff as they prepared to leave the restaurant for the last time. The crew seemed to be in good spirits toasting one another, laughing and posing for pictures

As before, we were given a discount on the meal though quite honestly I would have considered the meal a bargain even if they charged us full price. I certainly felt our meal was a fitting capstone for the last night at The Dining Room. As I noted during my previous visit, Voltaggio's skill has improved immeasurably in an incredibly short time to the point that he has outgrown The Dining Room. I wonder had the restaurant actually shut down as scheduled if it would have been able to keep him around longer. Regardless of whatever the management at the Langham did, I suspect Voltaggio's departure was only a matter of time. I am curious to see what the Langham has in mind to fill the void left by the shuttering of The Dining Room. More than that though, I am looking forward to what Voltaggio has in mind. From what I've been able to glean the restaurant will be located on the Westside and cater to a more casual clientele, though there will be an option for those seeking a more upscale experience as well. I hope the upcoming dinner at Test Kitchen gives us some insight into what he has planned.